AFC East: Adam Schefter says Tom Brady is ‘tracking’ toward leaving Patriots

Tom Brady is ‘tracking’ toward leaving New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills’ AFC East rival.

Another big-time football analyst or insider is on the board with thinking that quarterback Tom Brady could be leaving the Bills’ rival, the New England Patriots.

One of the most widely-known names in ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the latest to think Brady’s gone.

Per Patriots Wire, Schefter told the Schein on Sports podcast that he actually doesn’t have an inside scoop on what Brady will do. But he’s been around the business long enough to know the way things are trending.

“Free agency starts in less than two weeks,” Schefter said. “Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are no closer to a contract agreement today than they were at any point during the season or any time recently. So if the greatest quarterback and arguably the greatest player in NFL history is not any closer to a contract agreement with the team he’s played for for 20 years, I think we can all sense what way this is tracking.

“Which doesn’t mean they can’t figure it out at the last moment and somehow find a solution to bring him back to Foxboro and find a way to make it work. But again, I just compare and contrast what is going on with Tom Brady and what as opposed to what’s gone on with, say, Drew Brees, who comes out and says, ‘I am either retiring or playing for the Saints.’ Have we heard that? We have not heard that with Tom Brady. Right? At what point is it going to register with people who believe he’s going back there that there’s a real chance he’s not going back there. What more do we need to see — other than him actually agreeing to a deal with another team, which certainly seems like it’s on track to happen now.”

In the modern era of social media and sports, it’s pretty shocking that it seems as if no one has the answer on what Brady is going to do this close to free agency, even the biggest of nsiders. On March 16, the “tampering period” opens, where players and teams can talk, and then on March 18, they can sign.

The Patriots struggled on offense last year and Brady didn’t look like his former self, even though they still won the AFC East title. Was that because of those around him? Or has the QB dropped off? What we’re sure of: Brady wants to play in 2020. Exactly where he’s going to try and prove he’s still got it is certainly going to be on the minds of teams in the AFC East until the answer is known.

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Bucs considering franchise tag for Shaq Barrett which could be trouble for Jameis Winston

The Buccaneers are strongly considering using the franchise tag on LB Shaq Barrett, which could mean Jameis Winston is out in Tampa Bay.

This tweet from Adam Schefter is a big one. While most people assumed LB Shaq Barrett would return to Tampa Bay after his 19.5 sack season in 2019, it remained a question of how the Bucs would retain him. Striking a long-term deal was the obvious solution, but there was always the possibility of using either the franchise or transition tag if the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.

With this news from Schefter comes the reality that Jameis Winston could very well be out in Tampa Bay. The Bucs are keeping their options open at QB, and Bruce Arians seemed to indicate the team has already made a decision on Winston’s future. You have to believe that if they had Winston in their plans, they wouldn’t be using the franchise tag on Barrett.

Then again, perhaps the Bucs are still looking to negotiate a new deal with Winston and leaking this news is a way of gaining leverage. Who knows right now? But it is definitely going to be an interesting offseason for the Buccaneers. And, it appears, the first domino is about to fall.

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Russell Wilson appears to be recruiting TE Greg Olsen to Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson appears to be recruiting tight end Greg Olsen to the team after his release from Carolina.

The Seattle Seahawks are a potential landing spot for tight end Greg Olsen after his release from the Carolina Panthers, and quarterback Russell Wilson is apparently on board about bringing the 13-year veteran to the Emerald City.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton whispered something in Wilson’s ear at the 2020 NFL Honors. As expected, speculation arose on Twitter about what Newton could possibly be saying to Wilson. Olsen took the time to give an extremely interesting response via his own Twitter account.

Wilson then responded to Olsen’s tweet with a comment and an image of the two together.

The Seahawks could certainly use more assistance at the tight end position with Will Dissly’s durability issues and the uncertainty regarding the rest of the unit. Olsen has suffered brutal foot injuries over the years and is approaching 35 years of age, but may still be capable of contributing for a team with Super Bowl ambitions such as the Seahawks.

It is not a given that Olsen will be on his way to Seattle, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that he will visit the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins first.

However, this is a compelling situation for 12s to keep an eye on as free agency rolls around.

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Bears signing top CFL free agent CB Tre Roberson

The Bears are turning to the CFL for a new DB. They’re signing Calgary CB Tre Roberson, who was believed to be a top CFL free agent.

The Bears are turning to the CFL for a new defensive back.

Chicago is signing Calgary cornerback Tre Roberson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Roberson chose the Bears over nine other offers, according to Schefter.

The Bears must be high on Roberson, as they’re expected to give him the largest CFL-to-NFL compensation since the Dolphins signed Cameron Wake in 2014.

Roberson, 27, had seven interceptions in 16 games this season with the Calgary Stampeders.

Prior to his time in the CFL, Roberson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Vikings in 2016. Despite a strong preseason, Roberson never saw the field in the regular season.

 

The Bears have a decision to make at cornerback, which hinges on what they ultimately decide to do with veteran Prince Amukamara. Amukamara could very well wind up a cap-casualty, as the Bears could save $9 million by releasing him.

If the Bears were to release Amukamara, they’d never someone to line up opposite Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller. Second-year corner Kevin Toliver saw time at the position with Amukamara dealing with a hamstring injury over the last few weeks, and he is certainly an option. They could also turn to the NFL Draft, as there’s considered to be a deep cornerback class this year.

Considering the compensation the Bears are giving him, you figure Roberson will factor into things, as well.

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Adam Schefter is adamant the Bengals are taking Joe Burrow at No. 1

One expert says the Bengals won’t do anything but take Joe Burrow.

Adam Schefter, who knows a thing or two about the NFL, says Joe Burrow is a lock to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Schefter also guarantees the Cincinnati Bengals will be the team making the pick.

Speaking on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Schefter said he’s totally comfortable throwing down a prediction right now.

“You can pencil in Joe Burrow to Cincinnati right now. In fact, if you want to put it on the bottom line…’Adam Schefter reports that the Bengals are expected to take Joe Burrow at one’ go right ahead.”

That said, Schefter noted he can’t see a scenario where the Bengals don’t listen to trade offers. But again, he doesn’t see the team actually making a move.

Which makes sense, as bringing the Ohio product home after a historic season to potentially revive a franchise is one of the easiest calls in recent draft history.

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Former Notre Dame Captain Reportedly Named Texans DC

Weaver takes over a defense that gave up the fifth-most yards in the NFL in 2019 but did manage to allow a significantly more respectable 19th fewest points.

Former Notre Dame captain and defensive end Anthony Weaver has worked his way from player to graduate assistant and now all the way up to an NFL defensive coordinator.

On Monday news broke courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reporting that Weaver will be named defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans.

Anthony Weaver was a star defensive end at Notre Dame, playing under Bob Davie from 1998 through 2001.  In 2001 he served as a captain and was named team MVP for a squad that disappointed to the tune of just a 5-6 record after earning a Fiesta Bowl berth the season before.

Weaver went on to become a second round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2002 and played four seasons there before playing three more with the Houston Texans from 2006-08.

Weaver then got his start in the coaching ranks at the very bottom, serving as a graduate assistant to Urban Meyer at Florida in 2010 before taking a job as linebackers coach at North Texas in 2011.

From there it was a long climb to his new post as Weaver had stints with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns along the way.  In 2016 he took over as defensive line coach of the Texans before being promoted to defensive coordinator today.

Weaver takes over a defense that gave up the fifth-most yards in the NFL in 2019 but did manage to allow a significantly more respectable 19th fewest points.

For a flashback, check out this newsclip about Weaver from 2013 that briefly features footage from his kicking career in high school and one of his highlights from his days at Notre Dame.

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Report: Luke Kuechly interested in new role with Panthers

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, Kuechly is interested in sticking around for a post-retirement role in Carolina.

Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly suddenly announced his retirement last week after eight seasons in the NFL. Just because he’s done playing doesn’t mean he’s done with football, though – or the organization that he’s called home since he was drafted.

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, Kuechly is interested in sticking around for a post-retirement role in Carolina.

“Kuechly is interested in having a role with the Panthers, a league source told ESPN, whether it’s as an adviser, coach, executive or another job that could help the team.”

Not every former player is cut out to contribute for a coaching staff or in the front office. Kuechly is an exceptional individual, though. If nothing else, Kuechly’s relentless attention to details and film study should make him an excellent coach. He also has all the intangibles covered you might expect for any leadership role.

As it happens, the Panthers are in the middle of assembling a new coaching staff. Perhaps there’s room for Kuechly to work as a linebackers coach or assistant. Another route could be the one that Julius Peppers took after his retirement. Peppers has been working as a special assistant on the business side. He’s also served as an ambassador for the team.

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Report: Drew Brees approached about TV analyst position

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has drawn interest by the NFL’s TV broadcast partners, but he may not be finished playing just yet

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It almost goes without saying that Drew Brees will have plenty of career options when his time in the NFL is finished. The longtime New Orleans Saints quarterback has been an active investor in recent years, though it’s unlikely his day as a dishwasher at a sports bar for “Undercover Boss” endeared him to that career path.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Brees was recently approached by a non-ESPN network to gauge his interest in TV game analysis. While Brees has not yet confirmed whether he’ll continue playing — his Saints contract voids in March — Schefter’s report adds that Brees will not be making any decisions about his future employment status until he’s settled on whether he’ll continue playing.

It makes sense that the NFL’s broadcast partners would take an interest in Brees. Given the recent success of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in the broadcast booth, maybe they envision Brees as a similarly-successful addition.

What’s curious is that Brees has not shown much interest himself in doing this kind of work. Unlike contemporaries such as Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen or Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Brees has not taken on guest spots during game broadcasts or preview shows, so he’s largely an unknown quantity. Great as he is at spinning a football, it’s possible he isn’t as impressive in calling games live on air.

But this all hinges on Brees’ decision. It could come as soon as this week — Saints coach Sean Payton conveniently joined the ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown crew as a guest analyst and offered his take on the situation, repeating his previous take that he doesn’t think Brees is ready to quit playing just yet. Payton said that he expects to hear from Brees in the coming days, possibly ahead of the quarterback’s 41st birthday on Wednesday. So this is a situation well worth monitoring.

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Matt Rhule on first conversation with Cam Newton: ‘He was awesome to talk to’

Here’s what he told Adam Schefter on his podcast about that conversation.

The Carolina Panthers have themselves a new head coach. Today, Matt Rhule was introduced as the fifth person to earn that title in team history.

Rhule faces a lot of questions in the first of a seven-year, $60 million contract. Near the top of the list has to be who he wants to be his franchise quarterback. As general manager Marty Hurney reminded the media today, there’s already an MVP QB on the roster.

Speaking of Cam Newton, Rhule says he spoke with him on Tuesday to introduce himself. Here’s what he told Adam Schefter on his podcast about that conversation.

“He was awesome to talk to. Passionate. . . Great guy. A tremendous competitor. . . Again, it was a conversation just to introduce myself and say how much I look forward to getting to know him in the future.”

That sounds good. However, whether or not Newton stays may not be entirely up to Rhule, who admitted he’s not fully up to speed on his personnel just yet. He says he told Newton as much.

“As I told him and told all the players, I really don’t know anything right now. I was kind of just dropped here today but I’ll get caught up to speed really quick on where everything’s at and we can get this thing moving in the right direction.”

Newton (30) is entering the last year of his contract. Some analysts have suggested cutting or trading him, which would save the team some $19.1 million in cap space and cost only $2 million in dead money.

Cap savings don’t win games, though. If that’s a proposition that interests Rhule, then Newton is going to be his best chance to do so in 2020.

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WATCH: Patriots’ WR coach Joe Judge to become Giants’ head coach

The New York Giants went off the beaten path for their next head coach hire, reportedly going with a name not many have heard yet: Joe Judge.

The New York Giants went off the beaten path for their next head coach hire, reportedly going with a name not many have heard yet: Joe Judge.

Judge was most recently the special team’s coordinator and wide receivers coach with the New England Patriots. He has three Super Bowl rings since joining the franchise in 2012 as a special teams assistant.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first with the report on Tuesday, revealing that the deal was in the works as of Monday night:

The Giants fired their previous head coach, Pat Shurmur, on Dec. 30 after going 9-23 over two seasons in East Rutherford.